How Much Does New Flooring Cost?

Most homeowners spend between $168 and $32,566 nationally. Get free estimates from local flooring contractors.

Deciding what type of floor you want is not easy. There’s too much to choose from. If you want hardwood, what type of hardwood? You want tile? What kind of tile? Would bamboo be better? The Flooring Estimator is here to make your life a little easier. It provides information on all floor remodeling projects, the primary floor coverings and allows you to pick and choose as much as you wish between different materials. We base our flooring costs on averages in your zip code, but they should be considered a rough guide, not a final figure.

The floors of your home might not stand out as the focal point in any one space, but they are large spaces that require a lot of attention over time. Some materials, like hardwood, may be able to last for decades, but things like tile, vinyl or laminate might need repair or replacement more frequently. To better understand the average costs of various flooring jobs around the home, use this guide to price things first.

Flooring Cost Factors

Before jumping into flooring quotes and average costs, you must first understand what affects your overall flooring cost. While materials and professional installation may be obvious factors, there are other less obvious influences that can increase or decrease your overall flooring remodel price.

Budget

To no surprise, your budget largely affects what you can and can not do for any flooring renovation project. It is very important that all homeowners know exactly what you can spend on your remolding project before getting started. Sadly, given the size of the space or the scope of the project, certain materials or timeframes may be out of the question. For example, if you’re working with a small budget, real hardwood may be out of the question. If you’re working with a larger budget, more flooring materials are at your disposal. Nevertheless, your budget changes many imperative decisions.

Those who don’t set a budget will spend more than you intended. Additionally, make sure you have a contingency budget. You never know what will go wrong once you start tearing up those floors.

Cost of Materials

Those of you brave enough to take on your floor renovation project by yourself, more power to you. While you’ll be saving a lot on professional labor, you still have to pay for the raw materials. There is a wide range of material costs given how many different types of flooring there are. For example, as you can see below, ImproveNet has found and researched the average material costs for over 40 flooring types. Prices may go as low as $1/sf to as high as $100/sf. Needless to say, the cost of materials can greatly influence your flooring remodeling cost.

Price to Hire A Pro

Hiring a professional will increase your total remodeling cost. Everyone deserves an honest pay for an honest day’s work. Expert labor does not come cheap. For mid-range or high-end flooring remodels or installations, expect 20% of your total budget to go towards labor.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Most homeowners do not think of ROI when it comes to remodeling their floors, but a project’s ROI should always be on your mind. Most of us do not plan on living in our homes until the day we die. Therefore, your future sale price must be considered. As such, you must keep current trends and flooring designs in mind as you research flooring prices.

Believe it or not, very few remodeling projects, and even fewer flooring projects, have a positive ROI. Nonetheless, you should still update your floors because future homeowners will enjoy (if you pick a trendy flooring option) and you too can appreciate your renovated floors.

Flooring Trends

Like we said earlier, flooring trends will change your total flooring investment. As demand for a particular material goes up, so does demand. The one material that has skyrocketed over the years is hardwood. While it may not be as popular in the bathroom, it has dominated the ranks in almost every other room around the house.

Some homeowners love tile while others can’t live without hardwood. Some can’t imagine a life without carpet in the bedroom while others simply can’t deal the extra maintenance that comes with it. Either way, your personal taste will increase or decrease your floor remodeling cost.

We will get into more prices later, but in general, carpet and laminate come in on the cheaper end and then tile, hardwood and other stones go up the flooring price line.

Flooring Installation Costs

There are many flooring projects, but it all starts with installation. While most flooring projects revolve around repair, a 100% replacement is never out of the question. Therefore, you must know how much flooring installation cost for each flooring type.

Hardwood Flooring Installation Cost

Beware, hardwood installation is one of the most expensive materials to install. While the average price for all flooring installation is $2,229, hardwood installation comes in at $4,840 for 500sf of space or $9.68/sf.

However, the price will largely depend on the type of wood chosen. There are plenty of wood types on the market, ranging from pine and walnut to red oak and maple. Different price points make for different installation costs.

Ceramic or Porcelain Tile Flooring Installation Cost

Despite the rise of hardwood, tile still reigns supreme in the bathroom. As many remodeling projects start in the bathroom, it’s a good idea to know the average installation cost for ceramic and porcelain tile. According to ImproveNet data, homeowners who hire a pro to install spend $3,724 for 500sf ($7.45/sf) of ceramic or porcelain tile.

As always, this price includes professional installation and labor. While tile installation is not easy, those who have DIY experience can do it. If you do go that route, as our ceramic tile material estimator indicates, expect to pay $1,200 for a 500sf project ($2.40/sf).

Carpet Installation Cost

Despite its slow demise, carpet still add a warm and welcoming touch that no other flooring option can match. However, unlike other materials, many professional carpet installation companies include the price of installation into the cost of carpet. Fortunately, it’s still cheaper than the other alternatives. Expect to pay $2,969 for 500sf ($5.94/sf) of medium-quality carpet.

If you do decide to buy and install the carpet yourself, make sure you buy the right amount. Our carpet calculator makes it as easy as possible to buy the right amount of carpet and not overpay on your next flooring installation or replacement project.

Laminate Flooring Installation Cost

While you don’t hear about it as much as hardwood or tile, laminate still has its place in homes across the country. As an affordable alternative, laminate is a common choice that is easy to clean and very versatile. Installation is quick compared to the materials discussed and just like hardwood, it comes in a myriad of different colors. Expect to pay $2,344 for 500sf ($4.69/sf) of materials and installation of laminate flooring.

Vinyl Tile Flooring Installation Cost

As you saw above, tile flooring installation is more expensive than some of the other options. However, homeowners can still get that tile look without spending a fortune by going with vinyl tile. In fact, vinyl tile is warmer on the feet and still offers many color variations. Furthermore, vinyl tile is easier to install without a pro because it requires few tools. If you do hire a pro, expect to pay $2,355 for 500sf ($4.71/sf) of vinyl tile materials and installation.

Bamboo Flooring Installation Cost

As we move toward a greener earth, environmentally-friendly options have popped up all over the home and flooring is no exception. Bamboo flooring offers a cheaper alternative than traditional hardwood and yet, can look very similar. Material costs are very low (starting at $2/sf), but if you hire a pro, you will most likely pay around $3,651 for 500sf ($7.30/sf) of bamboo flooring (with installation).

Flooring Repair Costs

Rather than replace your entire floor, most flooring remodeling projects revolve around repairs. Fortunately, as our flooring repair cost estimator indicates, the average price to repair floors is $752. Nevertheless, that price can largely fluctuate based on your flooring material.

Hardwood Repair (Refinish) Cost

When you repair hardwood floors, refinishing is in order. Unlike tile, if you just repair one section of hardwood without refinishing, the floor will certainly look uneven. The minimum amount that most homeowners spend on hardwood floor refinishing is $700. In the mid-range of wood floor refinishing, the majority of consumers spend $1,200 to $1,600.

Tile Repair Cost

Tile, unlike hardwood, is a rather simple repair project for both flooring pros and active DIYers. Since tiles are laid one by one, pros can easily removed damaged tiles and replace them without breaking a sweat. For a few simple tiles, expect to pay anywhere between $100 and $400 for professional tile repair. If you want to tackle the project yourself, watch our very short video below.

Carpet Repair Cost

If you own carpet, a carpet repair project is in your near future. Whether it’s a stain, burn or just general wear and tear, your carpet will need to be repaired once in awhile. In terms of stains, a good, thorough cleaning is needed. A professional carpet cleaning company will charge a minimum of $100 to tackle a rough stain and homeowners should expect to pay anywhere from $188 to $246 for an in-home visit. Likewise, if you’re dealing with a carpet patch, or filling in hole, don’t pay more than $250 for the entire project.

Cleaning Costs

No matter what floor you choose, cleaning comes with the territory. While most floor cleaning projects do not require a pro, some require more maintenance than others.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Unless you have a massive stain you can’t remove, no homeowner needs to hire a pro to clean their hardwood floors. All the floor needs is the occasional dusting, mopping, swiffering and vacuuming. Hardwood floor cleaning is all about consistency. As long as you take out the swiffer once in awhile, your floors should remain in good condition.

Much like hardwood, to keep your tile clean as can be, a little TLC is all you need. Nevertheless, there are professional machines tile pros use to remove those tough stains.

In addition to the tile, you have to also consider the grout in between the tiles. Cleaning grout is not as easy as the actual hardwood. Grout is porous, which means it absorbs water, soap and other materials that it comes in contact with. If you have any issues with grout cleaning, call a pro. Grout cleaning can cost anywhere from $80 to $250. The final price depends on the severity of the discoloration.

Cleaning Carpet

As already indicated above, cleaning carpet is a bit more complicated than hardwood or tile. As you may have guessed, carpet demands more cleaning than that of tile or hardwood, so while the average is less, the number of cleans over the carpet’s lifetime is usually more.

Flooring Types

As referenced throughout this page, there are plenty of different flooring types for every room. Rarely will you find a resource with every possible type of flooring out there, but ImproveNet has found over 40 flooring types and their material costs. You must keep these average tile, carpet, bamboo, stone and wood flooring costs in mind as you find the perfect solution for your home.

Ideal Floor Types by Room

It’s important to remember that one type of flooring typically won't be effective throughout the home. As you read above, what you need in the bathroom will differ substantially from what you need in the bedroom. As a quick rule of thumb, tile is a smart choice in rooms with water and humidity such as the laundry room, kitchen and bathroom.

Radiant Heating Systems

As the remodeling industry matures, so does your flooring. Just like smart technology, there have been plenty of upgrades when it comes to residential flooring. The most prevalent upgrade is radiant heating.

Radiant heating is exactly how it sounds. Whether through water or electricity, radiant heating warms up your cold tile floors in the winter. While the average price to install a radiant heating system is just over $4,000, the size of the space as well as the chosen technology will alter the price. Bear in mind, repairs are not that cheap, going as high as $3,000.

Flooring Trends

What’s hot in the flooring industry can and will affect your overall flooring remodeling cost. After all, as demand goes up, so does price. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to know what flooring types are trending in your area.